Victims Resource Center holds rally

Kristen Mullen / The Citizens' Voice
Susan Hooper speaks about the death of her brother, Robert Curley, who was poisoned to death by his wife.

WILKES-BARRE - For many years after Megan Kanka's murder, the family didn't have the heart to celebrate Christmas.

The 7-year-old was raped and murdered July 29, 1994, by a neighbor, Jesse Timmendequas - who had two previous convictions for sexually assaulting children.

"Our family's life changed at that time. Once we found out that she had died, there was such sorrow and grief," Megan's grandmother, Donna Kanka, said on Wednesday during a "Take Back the Night" rally organized by the Victims Resource Center to mark Victims' Rights Week and Sexual Abuse Awareness month.

"They always say it's the worst nightmare for a parent. Believe me when I tell you that's true."

What Megan's family didn't realize in 1994 was that right across the street in their Hamilton Township, N.J., neighborhood three convicted sex offenders shared a house. Had there been a law in place to let the family know, "Megan would probably still be alive, in my thoughts," Kanka said.

For years the Kanka family suffered Megan's loss, spending her birthdays at the cemetery, noting the milestones she missed: "At this time, she would have graduated from eighth grade, or high school, her first prom. She would have been 25 years old - probably about the age of some of you people are here today," Kanka said to the approximately 200 people, mainly King's College and Wilkes University students, participating in the rally outside the Kirby Health Center.

Megan's parents, Maureen and Richard, resolved that Megan should not have died in vain.

"It's not easy to get a law in place. We had petitions. We did everything we could," Kanka said.

The family succeeded in getting "Megan's Law," requiring sex offenders to register with the state and for residents to be notified when they move into their neighborhood, passed.

Now, years later, although the family will never fully recover from Megan's murder, Kanka said they have gotten back together to celebrate Christmases and to remember all the good things about their lost little girl.

Another possible law in the works is one Susan Hooper hoped for each time her sister-in-law Joann Curley came up for parole: state Senate Bill 508, which would allow crime victims or their representatives to testify in front of the parole board.

"The face-to-face is what I wanted all these years," Hooper said.

Hooper's brother, Robert Curley, died in "excruciating pain" in September 1991 after Joann slowly poisoned him over the course of 11 months with thallium-laced iced tea.

Joann Curley was arrested in 1996 and pleaded guilty to poisoning Robert for his insurance money. The 10- to 20-year sentence was the maximum at the time for third-degree murder.

Every year when Joann Curley comes up for parole, Hooper and her family and friends get together to write and petition to ensure she will stay behind bars for another year. Hooper said she is working hard, with help from state Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, to get Senate Bill 508 passed. Parole boards need to be able to hear firsthand the effect crimes have on the victims and their families, Hooper believes.

"Victims' voices need to be heard, and this is a huge step forward for victims," she said.

Citizens' Voice Projects Editor Michael Sisak, who won awards for his coverage of the Jerry Sandusky trial, talked about how sexual abuse at the hands of the former Penn State defensive coordinator affected Sandusky's young and vulnerable male victims.

Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network statistics show that 54 percent of rapes and sexual assaults are never reported to police, according to Sisak. Of the 46 that are reported, only 12 lead to arrest, nine are prosecuted and five lead to a conviction.

Testifying in court can be particularly daunting for child abuse victims, who are under pressures including potentially harsh cross-examination and being forced to recount and relive their horrific experiences.

And sometimes it's hard even to admit the abuse to yourself, "as we heard tonight," Sisak said.

He was referring to George Steltz, 47, of Ashley, who shared his own story of sexual abuse which started when he was only 8 years old. Neighborhood boys, then later, grown men abused him until he was 15.

"I always stayed quiet. I never told a soul," Steltz said.

When he was 35, Steltz said his life "imploded" and he lost his wife, children, house and career. He turned to drink, came close to killing himself.

Finally Steltz broke his silence and told a friend, who took him to the Victims Resource Center. There he saw a counselor who taught him tools he needed to cope.

"Over and over she told me it wasn't my fault," he said.

Steltz said the past 12 years haven't been easy, but now, "It's nice to feel my own worth," he said. "I stand here as a man. I have something to give back to society now: myself."

eskrapits@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2072

We welcome user discussion on our site, under the following guidelines:

To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.

Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.